Edward Henry Hobson (July 11, 1825 – September 14, 1901) was a merchant, banker, politician, tax collector, railroad executive, and an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

and

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He is most known for his determined pursuit of the Confederates during

Morgan's Raid Morgan's Raid was a diversionary incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Union states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11 to July 26, 1863, and is named for the command ...

Early life and career

Edward Henry Hobson was born in

Greensburg, Kentucky Greensburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Green County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,163 at the 2010 census, down from 2,396 at the 2000 census. The Downtown Greensburg Historic District is on the Nationa ...

on July 11, 1825. His father, Capt. William Hobson, was a steamboat operator and merchant. Hobson was educated in the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretary ...

s in Greensburg and Danville, Kentucky, and at the age of eighteen, went into business with his father. In 1846, he enlisted in the 2nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and served in the

. He was soon promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

and fought in the

Battle of Buena Vista The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...

in February 1847. He was mustered out of service four months later and returned home, where he resumed his mercantile business. He became a director of the Greensburg branch of the Bank of Kentucky in 1853, and served as its president from 1857 until 1861. He was married to Katie Adair, a niece of Kentucky Governor

John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. A native of South Carolina, Ada ...

, and they had seven children.

Civil War

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hobson organized and became

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the 13th Kentucky Infantry, serving at "Camp Hobson" (near Greensburg) until he moved southward with General

Don Carlos Buell Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818November 19, 1898) was a United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles— Shiloh and Per ...

's army in February 1862. He commanded his regiment at the Battle of Shiloh with such success that he was nominated by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

for promotion to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. Before receiving this commission, he took part in the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. Hobson then commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

at Perryville, but was soon relieved of his field command due to the poor condition of his troops. Finally receiving his commission as brigadier general, he was placed in charge of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

troops in his home state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

and ordered to watch the movements of

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

Brig. Gen.

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...

. In July 1863 during

, Hobson with three brigades pursued Morgan through Kentucky,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, and

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He inflicted a severe defeat upon the raiders at the

Battle of Buffington Island The Battle of Buffington Island, also known as the St. Georges Creek Skirmish, was an American Civil War engagement in Meigs County, Ohio, and Jackson County, West Virginia, on July 19, 1863, during Morgan's Raid. The largest battle in Ohio d ...

, where he captured most of Morgan's men. He was then appointed to the command of General

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the Civil War and three times Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successful inventor ...

's cavalry corps, but owing to impaired health, he was unable to serve in that role. Hobson again commanded troops in repelling Confederate raids at Lexington, Kentucky, later in the war. Ironically, Hobson and about 750 men of the

171st Ohio Infantry The 171st Ohio Infantry Regiment, sometimes 171st Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 171st OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 171st Ohio Infantry was organized in Sandusky, Ohio, and mustered in M ...

were captured by Morgan in June 1864 near

Cynthiana, Kentucky Cynthiana is a home rule-class city in Harrison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,402 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county. History The settlement developed on both sides of the South Fork of the Licki ...

. He was able to negotiate his release. He commanded a brigade of Kentucky

mounted infantry Mounted infantry were infantry who rode horses instead of marching. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. According to the 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', "Mounted rifles are half cavalry, mounted infantry merely specially m ...

and cavalry at the Battle of Saltville in October. He mustered out of the service on August 24, 1865. After the war, he became a companion of the Ohio Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

Postbellum activities

Hobson returned home and engaged in business. He joined the

Radical Republicans The Radical Republicans (later also known as "Stalwarts") were a faction within the Republican Party, originating from the party's founding in 1854, some 6 years before the Civil War, until the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended Recons ...

and unsuccessfully ran for clerk of the state

Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...

, a bitterly divisive campaign that foreshadowed the following year's elections for Kentucky's governor and congressional seats. His support of the controversial

Thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octa ...

and Fourteenth Amendments cost him the election. Hobson was a candidate for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Kentucky's 4th District in 1872, but again was defeated. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880, serving as a vice-president of the convention, and was a strong supporter of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

's candidacy. President Grant rewarded Hobson by appointing him the district collector of

internal revenue The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory tax ...

. In 1887, he became president of the Southern Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. He became very active in the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

. He died in Cleveland, Ohio on September 14, 1901. He was buried in the family graveyard in Greensburg, Kentucky. Hobson's Federal style brick home in Greensburg (built by his father in 1823) is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. , it was fully restored by its current owner Erna Hay.

References

* Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1964, . * ''Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography'', edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1887–1889. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hobson, Edward H. 1825 births 1901 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War United States Army officers Union Army generals People of Kentucky in the American Civil War 19th-century American railroad executives Kentucky Republicans People from Greensburg, Kentucky